Improvement in portable railway-switches



Gym. wn|aH'T. Portable*Railway-Switches.

Patented May 5,1874.

UNITED ,STATES PATENT EFIGE eEoEeE M. WEIGHT, oE'oswEeo, NEw Yoan.

IMPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,649, dated May 5,1874; application tiled November 10, 1873.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. WEIGHT, of Oswego, in the county of Oswegoand State of New York, have invented a new and Improved-PortableRailroad-Switch; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled inthe art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing forming part of this specitication, in whichdrawing'- Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of my invention, whenthe same is applied to a railroad-track ready foruse.- Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the elbow in the plane m0 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aninside View of' the same. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the same.Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the same in the plane y y, Fig. 4.Fig. 6 is a similar section in" the plane z z, Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is asectional side view of the bridge or leg in the plane x x', Fig. l. Fig.8 is a horizontal section of the same. Fig. 9 is a detached plan of theshoe, which abuts against one end of the crossingrail. Fig. 10 is a sideview of the same.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts. This invention consists inthe arrangement of an elbow, one arm of which overlaps one of the mainrails of a railroad-track, while the other arm receives the end of oneof the siding-rails, said elbow being provided with buttons or latches,which can be made to catch under the heads of the rails in such a mannerthat the elbow can be readily applied or removed. It consists, further,in the arrangement of a tapering tongue or foot, which rests upon asupporting-plate, serving to keep said tongue elevated above the bottomliange of the main rail, and above the spike-heads, said tongue being.applied to the inner side ot one of the main rails, with its headabutting against the end of the crossing-rail, in such a manner that bysaid tongue the wheel is gradually switched off from the main track tothe crossingrail, or viceversa, and at the same time a device isobtained which can be readily taken up or replaced, as may be required.

Before I proceed with the description of my switch I will remark thatthe same'is not intended for a regular station-switch, nor for carsrunning at great velocity, but simply as a temporary connection betweena main line and a siding for work, wood, water, and construction trains.

In the drawing, the letters AA designate the main rails of arailroad-track, and the letters B B designate the siding-rails. Betweenthe main rails AA is placed the crossing-rail C, which forms acontinuation of the siding rail B. The crossing-rail G and thesiding-rail B are connected by a bridge, D, Figs. l, 7, and S, which isso formed that its ends overlap the ends of the rails C and B, while itsmiddle portion is cut out underneath to allow said bridge to pass overthe main rail A. In the sides of the bridge D, near its ends, arefastened buttons or latches b, (best seen in Fig. 5,) which turn onpivots o, so that the same can be made to catch under the heads of therails, to which the same are to be applied. By these means the bridge Dcan be readily secured to the rails B (l, whenever the connection isdesired. On the inside of the main rail A is placed a tapering foot ortongue, E, which abuts against the end of the crossing-rail C, andserves to guide the wheel from the main rail to the crossing-rail, orvice versa. `This tongue rests upon a supporting-plate, F, Figs. 9 and10, from which rises a stud, d, that catches in a hole in the tongue,while a stop, c, holds said tongue up against the main rail. By means ofthe supporting-plate the tongue E is retained clear above the bottomflange of the rail A, and above the spike-heads, and its point can bemade to bear close against the main rail. By means of thesupporting-plate F the tongue E can be readily adjusted in position. Theconnection between the siding- Y rail B and the mainrail A is edected byan elbow, G, Figs. l to 6, inclusive, one arm of. which is made tooverlap the main rail, while its other arm overlaps the siding-rail Bbeing fastened to said rails by means of buttons or latches b, Fig. 5,as previously. described.

Said elbow is also provided with a lip, f, Figs. 3 and 6, which catchesunder the head of the main rail, and gives an additional hold to theelbow. The position of the elbow is further strengthened by a toe, g,which bears down upon the sleeper, (see Figs. l, 4, and 6,) andwhichextends from the elbow near its bend. By these means the siding-rails BB and the crossing-rails C can be readily laid down at any desiredpoint, and they een be connected to, or disconnected from, the main yrails in a short time, and with comparatively littie expense.

The bridge D and the elbow Gr are, by preference, so constructed thattheir bottom edges rest upon the bottom eng'es of the rails, te whichthe seme are applied, while the spaces between the tops of the railsandthe bridge or elbows may be filled with metal or Wood, as strength orlightness may be preferable, thus bringing the pressure of the Wheelsupon the mils. My switch may also be used as e valuztble assistent inreplacing cars upon the track.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The elbow Gr, provided with the lip f, latches or button b, and toeg, in combination With the main rail A end siding-rail B', substentiellyes end for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the tapering tongue E and supporting-plate F withthe crossingaill() and mein rail-A, substantially as set Ort i.

GEORGE M. VRGHT.

XVitncsSes HENRY L. DAVIS, FRANK MAT'rooN.

